According to the Department of Labor, there were 12.4 million manufacturing employees in June 2017, equal to about 8.5 percent of all non farm employment. By comparison, in 1990, there were more than 17.5 million manufacturing employees in the U.S. representing over 16 percent of the workforce. Between January 2000 and December 2014, the U.S. lost 5 million manufacturing jobs with a significant portion lost during the Great Recession. Since the end of the recession in 2009, nearly 700,000 manufacturing jobs have been recovered.

California, Michigan, Ohio and Texas had the greatest number of manufacturing employees in June 2017, collectively representing more than one-quarter of all manufacturing positions in the U.S. Manufacturing as a percentage of non farm employment was highest in Indiana at 16.9 percent followed by Wisconsin at 16 percent and Michigan at 13.8 percent.

Thirty-three states now have more manufacturing employment than they had when the recession ended in June 2009. Manufacturing employment in the remaining 17 states has still not recovered since the recession. Since June 2009, manufacturing employment has grown the most in Michigan (39.9 percent) followed by Indiana (24.1 percent) and Idaho (20.6 percent).